


Alphabet Collections

by RavenBloom



Series: Alphabet Collections [1]
Category: Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Genre: F/M, Forbidden Romance, Not really Underage because mermaids are adults at 13, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Single Letter Prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-04-07 21:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14089617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenBloom/pseuds/RavenBloom
Summary: Twenty-six one paragraph-stories, each prompted by a letter of the alphabet, followed by interconnected one-shots that don't belong in another work, detailing instances in Lucia and Gaito's romance.





	1. A to Z

**Author's Note:**

> The same work can be found on my FanFiction.net account.

**A** is for  **Arrogance**

Lucia hated his arrogance and his condescending attitude sometimes, the way he'd mock her friends and his brother without a care as to how she thought of it. But as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a warm and loving embrace from behind, kissing her bare shoulder, she found she truly couldn't care less in the very same moment.

* * *

**B** is for  **Beauty**

Gaito found her to be beautiful. So very beautiful. There really were no words to describe her beauty in his eyes, how she looked like an angelic figure with her hair down, the lovely blue shade of her eyes, and not to mention her absolutely gorgeous smile. But then again, he didn't need words to tell her that she was beautiful, beautiful beyond words. She was his beauty, and he would keep her feeling like it forever.

* * *

**C** is for  **Caress**

Lucia loved it when they had time alone, hidden away in a secret meeting place where no one else knew existed. She loved his touch, light and careful as he caressed her bare skin, cupping her face to kiss her. She loved his caresses, loving and attentive, affectionate and sensual. His caresses sent chills down her spine whenever they had time together, time she'd always wish they had more of.

* * *

**D** is for  **Dominance**

Gaito supposed most would assume he was the dominant force in their relationship. They couldn't have been farther from the truth, he mused as she none-too-gently pushed him against the wall to continue their kiss, her hand tangling in his hair. She was by no means the submissive one, he was by no means the dominant, but you would never guess it just from appearances alone.

* * *

**E** is for  **Elegance**

Lucia wasn't particularly elegant, and she knew it. Even for a princess, she was... well, lacking in grace and style, unlike mature and graceful Rina, or even Hanon, who could call up a surprising amount of elegance when the situation called for it. And yet he barely seemed to care about it, treating her no different whenever she tripped up in front of him, just chuckling and helping her back up.

* * *

**F** is for  **Freedom**

Gaito couldn't deny that he felt free around her. There was a certain feeling he had around her that made him relax and stop hiding behind the walls he had built up over the years, that stopped him from pushing her away, a certain freedom to just be himself. Still, even as he rested his head against her shoulder, he wished he had the freedom to be together with her without a need to hide.

* * *

**G** is for  **Guilt**

Lucia had times where she felt guilty about what she was doing with her supposed enemy. Those moments were rare, few and far between, but the moments where she did were powerful, moments like when they were lying in each other's arms following a particularly intimate love-making session, or like when she turned down plans with Hanon and Rina just to visit him. And yet, she didn't care about the guilt.

* * *

**H** is for  **Hell**

Gaito could imagine what hell was like. A world without his lovely princess to lighten up his darker moods, a world where she wasn't his to love and to cherish, a world where she could seek solace with his brother. But then again, with all that he had done, surely he was going to whatever hell that existed beyond life. And yet, as long as she was his, even hell could be paradise.

* * *

**I**  is for  **Imperfection**

Lucia knew she was imperfect. Really, she wasn't as confident in herself as to claim otherwise, with her naive and idealistic attitude, her lack of grace, and not even to mention her physical appearance. Yet he didn't seem to mind, always calling her 'perfect' despite all her flaws, treasuring her like a priceless jewel above all others. She supposed he had a point, though. Even the priciest jewels had their imperfections.

* * *

**J** is for  **Jewellery**

Gaito knew she didn't need jewellery. Honestly, she had so much already just by being a princess, but he couldn't help himself. As he helped put on the intricately crafted locket around her neck, he smiled approvingly at the exquisite craft work that he had spent quite some time on commissioning. The golden chain sat around her neck, the heart-shaped locket with the two gems laid in a heart pattern on it gleaming.

* * *

**K** is for  **Kiss**

Lucia's hand tangled in his hair as she kissed him, lips parting at his prompting to deepen the kiss. Their bodies pressed flush against each other, she led him towards his chambers without looking, already knowing the path by heart. They warred for dominance, tongues dancing in an intimate battle as she guided him against the wall, feeling his hands slide down her body to rest on her hips. Unwilling, she broke the kiss, whispering, "I love you."

* * *

**L** is for  **Love**

Gaito would never deny that he loved her. That was perhaps the one thing that was an undeniable truth, a truth that he would never allow anyone to call into question. As his arms encircled her waist from behind, he rested his chin on her shoulder, gently nibbling on her earlobe as he whispered loving phrases into her ear. "I love you," he breathed. "That's never going to change."

* * *

**M** is for  **Mundane**

Lucia didn't mind the mundane. In fact, it was perhaps the one thing she loved most of all in their relationship — the mundane, everyday parts of it compared to the rest of her life. People would expect that they would enjoy lavishness, from who they were, but no, they went on dates in the human world, just like any other mundane couple. It was the mundane elements that made their love seem a bit more normal.

* * *

**N** is for  **Ninety-nine**

Gaito smiled as he presented the bouquet of carefully selected roses to her, ninety-eight real red roses and one fake pink rose, stepping close and pressing a kiss to her lips. As he pulled away, he whispered, "Do you know what ninety-nine roses mean?" His fingers raked through her hair as he continued, "It means that I'll love you until the day I die. I'll love you forever, my princess, until the last rose withers."

* * *

**O**  is for  **Oblivious**

Lucia was thankful that her friends were so oblivious sometimes, especially Kaito. Really, it made sneaking away to visit her prince on the weekends that much easier, since they weren't questioning it when she went for her late-night swims. As she stole away for her next visit to him, she gave a glance back at the hotel and breathed a sigh of relief. Being oblivious wasn't such a bad thing after all, for her.

* * *

**P** is for  **Pearl**

Gaito didn't want her pearl; he just wanted her. The pearl was worthless to him — for what good was the power if he had lost her? Perhaps saying that he didn't want her pearl wasn't entirely accurate, though. She was a pearl in his eyes, a priceless pearl that had a value greater than anything in the world. He'd do anything to keep his pearl safe, anything at all.

* * *

**Q** is for  **Queen**

Lucia felt like a queen when she was with him. Sure, she was the queen in all but title in her kingdom, but she was always treated like a child there, not a mature adult. This was entirely different with him. He called her a princess —  _his_  princess — but she was plainly a queen to him. Yes, she was his queen, and as long as her king ruled alongside her, any kingdom could be theirs.

* * *

**R** is for  **Rain**

Gaito had never found the rain to be particularly enjoyable. It came with dreary weather, thunder and lightning, and the ever annoying side effect of not being to go out in heavy showers. Although, learning that she was afraid of thunder made sitting through long storms much more bearable. As thunder crashed outside, he wrapped his arms around her and cooed sweet nothings into her ear.

* * *

**S** is for  **Serenade**

Lucia would often sing to him when they were alone. It wasn't too often that they had silent moments together in a place where no one would find her singing suspicious, and she would always take the chance when offered. When it came to it, she loved serenading him, oftentimes until he fell asleep. And as she sang, she'd let his head rest in her lap, enjoying the close contact.

* * *

**T** is for  **Tears**

Gaito hated to see her tears. It tore him apart on the inside when she cried and he was helpless to do anything about it. He hated to see her vulnerable and broken down, even more so when those tears were for him. He tried his best to cheer up up in those moments, kissing away her tears and holding her close, but if he had his way, she'd never shed another tear ever again.

* * *

**U** is for  **Umbrella**

Lucia loved it when it was raining — when it wasn't a thunderstorm, that was. It meant they would share an umbrella, and she'd have an excuse to be close to him in public, especially if anyone saw. Catching sight of the dark clouds in the sky, she smiled and reached for her black umbrella as she headed out to meet him. Hopefully, they'd use it soon enough.

* * *

**V**  is for  **Voice**

Gaito found her voice to be the most enchanting sound he had ever heard. Gentle and soothing, clear and bright, it resounded in his mind every second they were apart, filling his thoughts with her voice, waiting for her to call out his name when their next meeting came, longing to hear her cry out for him as they made love. Her voice was truly what made her special, and he longed to hear it all day.

* * *

**W** is for  **Wait**

Lucia had her moments when she didn't want to wait. Seconds became hours, hours became years when they were apart, and she just became too impatient to wait. So she would steal away in the middle of the night, just to be with him until dawn came. Once they parted, she would force herself to wait again, until midnight came again, and she could visit her beloved.

* * *

**X**  is for  **Xylography**

Gaito watched almost impatiently as she examined the engraved block of wood he had spent the afternoon on. It was an odd hobby, but he enjoyed it, nonetheless. Watching as she turned it over, he smiled as she read the message he had engraved into it, and he was down on one knee moments later, displaying a delicate ring. "Marry me, love?" He grinned as she kissed him passionately shortly after.

* * *

**Y** is for  **Yuletide**

Lucia had been waiting for this moment. Hands clasped with his own, she pulled him towards the door, stopping right under the arch of the doorway. "See the mistletoe, love?" she breathed in his ear, hands moving to rest on either side of his face. She kissed him deeply, pulling him close to her as his arms wrapped around her waist. "Merry Christmas, lover."

* * *

**Z**  is for **Zero**

Gaito honestly didn't care what anyone thought about their relationship; not if anyone approved of them, not if anyone disapproved of them. What did it matter if no one thought they should be together? He loved her and she loved him, wasn't that all a relationship was? Even if there was zero approval, he didn't care. He wouldn't care, not as long as he loved her.


	2. B is for Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of Lucia and Gaito's relationship

**Prompt: B is for Beginnings**

Gaito walked along the street with his hands in the pockets of his black slacks, dark crimson eyes looking around the human city with a measure of interest and curiosity. The human world was such a quaint place, he mused to himself, looking for all the world like he was a simple teenager wandering the city with no other purpose than simple curiosity. The sun was bright as it radiated light over his head, making the Panthalassan somewhat glad that he had chosen the white button-down shirt he was currently wearing instead of something dark in colour.

His gaze swept aimlessly around the city, taking in the scene as he finally slowed down, stopping as he reached the shade of a building, close to a cosy-looking cafe. A couple walking past, holding hands and talking in gentle tones. A middle-aged woman hurrying through the city with plastic bags full of groceries. A trio of schoolgirls in their uniforms weaving in and out of the busy crowd, two with the unusual hair colours of dark green and blue.

Wait, green and blue?

The Panthalassan narrowed his eyes, focusing his gaze on the trio of girls as they made their way closer towards him on their way through the city. He was soon able to make them out clearer — a petite blue-haired girl with short, wavy hair and a hair clip, a tall girl with long green hair in the boy's uniform, and in the centre of the two was a  _very_  familiar-looking dirty blonde with bright red ribbons in her hair. She looked so familiar... where had he seen her before? He strained his ears a little to try and tune out the rest of the mindless drone of the crowd around them.

"Lucia!" the blue-haired girl was squealing. "Come on, you have to do it!"

Lucia. That was it, the blonde's name.

Gaito remembered where he had seen her before — when he had masqueraded as his brother. He had walked with her across the bridge, sharing a black umbrella with the girl, until he had found something exceedingly odd about her. He hadn't quite been able to pin it down, but he had tried to find it out himself, unintentionally scaring her off. The next day, he had scoured his twin's mind and had found out why — she was the Pink Pearl Princess, the Mermaid Princess of the North Pacific. What was more, he had learned her name — Lucia, light. The following nights, her innocent smile had been branded into his mind, plaguing most of his thoughts until only recently.

The blonde shook her head as she weaved through the crowd, her voice light and melodic as she argued back. "I'm serious, Hanon!" she exclaimed. "When does the girl ever make the first move?" She was getting closer with the other two — faces he now recognized as the Green and Aquamarine Pearl Princesses — her hands clutching a red bag and her pink and red school uniform making it ridiculously easy to keep track of her now that he had seen her. Or perhaps, that was his own inexplicable fixation with the pink princess and her enchantingly innocent smile.

The Panthalassan forced himself to remain stoic as he stood there, watching the trio of mermaids get closer. He forced himself to seem disinterested in anything else when in reality, all his attention was focused on the blonde princess and her alone. What was wrong with him? What made him so attracted to the princess? Her smile, certainly, but what else? He couldn't begin to fathom why, just that he did. He knew she was a spirited, passionate girl. He knew that she held emotions for his brother — was that why? Jealousy? He didn't picture the sight, but it was perhaps true. He didn't know.

"Calm down, Lucia. You're going to make a scene," the princess of the North Atlantic was saying, sounding mildly annoyed and exasperated. "Jeez, it's just asking him out. If you two don't work out naturally, you'll never do. And besides, you know we'll have to go back once all our business is done here. Can't get too attached to him, alright?"

Lucia was about to give her friend a retort when they got close enough for Gaito to finally make eye contact with her. In that split second, a warm honey brown met a cool dark crimson, and the princess ended up at a loss for words. Their gaze didn't break, and her pace even slowed down a bit as she stared at him, eventually slowing down completely to a stop. Then, a flash of recognition passed those large, innocent eyes, and a hand reached up to clasp protectively around her pink shell locket. She said nothing — but then, neither did he — yet her eyes said it all.  _You…_

_Me._  His red gaze seared into her, intense and one might even say soulful. His impassive and apathetic expression changed into a slightly arrogant smirk, pulling at the corner of his lips.  _Hello, princess_. Their gaze still didn't break even with that, and for that instant, the world seemed to stop around them, time freezing as their shared glance continued. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. Not in this moment, not ever. He gazed at her, taking in her expression and searing it into his memory.

"Lucia?" The question broke their concentration on each other, and the princess snapped her head over at her friends. Their held gaze broke as her eyes moved away — was that a sliver of regret in her eyes?

It was time to go, Gaito quickly decided to himself. Regretfully, he would have to look for the princess some other time, it seemed. His gaze lingered on her slender form once more, and finally, the Panthalassan stepped away, hiding in the crowd as he headed for the ocean again. He would see his princess again, of that, he was certain. "Until we meet again, Princess," he murmured.

* * *

Lucia was out in the city, having taken a quick departure from her chores to relax and de-stress. She hoped that she hadn't been too obvious with her paranoia after her encounter, but at the same time, the dark blonde was glad and grateful for the chance to get out and get some fresh air. Her heart silently racing with partial fear and unexpected worry for her pearl, the girl gripped the hemline of her short denim skirt as she walked through the city, putting up a pretense of window-shopping.

The Mermaid Princess passed a high-end department store, suddenly feeling a gaze land onto her. Brow furrowing together in confusion, she turned and was promptly met with dark crimson eyes as she was pressed against a wall.

"Hello, Princess." Gaito was smirking as he rested a hand on the wall, shifting his weight onto one foot. It left a large opening for her to slip out, but the Pink Pearl Princess was more concerned with answers. "What a coincidence to see you here again... isn't it?" The rhetorical question gnawed away at her patience, but he didn't seem to notice — or he just didn't seem to care. "Now, what are you doing here... without your friends?"

Her honey-brown eyes narrowed as the princess shot a glare at her enemy. "I don't need minders," she shot back, crossing her arms over her chest in a measure on indignation. With a huff, the pink mermaid dared herself to maintain the eye contact for as long as possible. "How did you even learn who I was anyway?" she demanded, her voice hushed enough that it wouldn't draw too much attention from any passers-by. They might have looked like a couple having an argument, she realized with a shiver running down her spine. That was an awful thought — her and her own worst enemy? Unthinkable!

The silver-haired Panthalassan merely arched a brow at her. "You're not concerned that I'm cornering you up against a wall?" he asked. Taking a step closer, he moved so that her escape route was no longer viable, making it so that he had her trapped. "Not worried about that at all?" He reached out, cupping her chin in his hand as a contemplative look entered his eyes. "You don't make it hard to find out who you could be," Gaito finally said, eyeing her. "No change in name... you look more or less the same, if not with different hair and eyes, your company is near identical to the Atlantic Ocean Princesses... and you still wear that precious little locket." His hand suddenly moved to grab the pink shell locket, and he did manage to grasp it, though the string around her neck held fast.

Lucia scowled, her hands shooting up to stop him from trying to snap the string and take her pearl away. "Hands  _off_ ," she said, as forcefully as she could. Her hands covered his as she tried to hold fast, but her eyes were still locked with his and their gaze had yet to break, just like that day. "You are  _not_  taking my pearl," she said firmly. "I  _won't_  let you, so let go, Gaito." Her breath caught in her throat as she tightened her grasp, trying to make him back off. "You don't scare me," she whispered.

"And who said that was my intention, Princess?" Gaito asked, finally releasing her locket and letting it fall back against her collarbone. "Who said that I  _wanted_  to scare you? It's never been my intention to do so." Was he sincere in that statement? He gave no indication of lying about that. "And besides... there are more things that I find  _far_  more precious, after all..." An amused smirk curled his lips, and he leaned in, so close that a slight movement would bring them close enough to let their lips brush together.

Her breath caught in her throat at the unexpected closeness of their faces, and she tensed up, staring up at him and into his dark eyes. "Like what?" For a moment, it was as if she had lost her voice, and she could barely speak loud enough to be heard. Her voice trembled faintly, but she put on a brave front, staring at him and daring her enemy to do something — anything. "Well?" Would he do something? What would he do? What had he come for in the first place?

"Close your eyes, princess," he murmured to her, hand cupping her chin. "And don't move a muscle. I won't hurt you, I promise." His eyes stared into hers with a burning intensity Lucia didn't know if she could match, and he looked incredibly serious, like there was something important he had to do. "Will you trust me?" he whispered. "If only for a short while."

Lucia suddenly found that it was hard to breathe, her heart racing like a train. "I don't," she said honestly, "but I can always make an exception." What had possessed her to say that? Trembling slightly in fear and an equal measure of anticipation, she let her eyes flutter shut. "This once," the blonde said, inwardly horrified at what she was doing — had she no common sense left? "I'll trust you." She felt him gently tip her head back, his fingers gently tracing the curve of her face, ghosting over her fair skin… and then his lips pressing against hers in a gentle, but unexpected kiss. Her breathing halted entirely as she tensed up against the wall, taken by surprise by his actions, and her eyes fluttered half-open.

And then, he pulled away, still close enough to look her directly in the eye, but not so close that they would be coming into contact with each other every time someone moved. "Sorry," he murmured in her ear, looking down onto her face with a contemplative look in his eyes. His thumb caressed the curve of her cheek, ghosting over her skin, and then he took a step back, no longer pressing her against the wall. He exhaled slowly, but his gaze never left her own. Briefly, a smirk graced his features, then it vanished for favour of a mostly stoic expression.

The blonde's fingers reached up to touch her lips as she looked at him, startled by his actions. "Why... why did you..." she stammered, unable to get her words out in a clear, coherent manner. She swallowed, her eyes darting everywhere in an attempt to avoid his piercing red gaze. "...kiss me?" she finally whispered, her fingers on her lips causing the whispered phrase to come out slightly muffled. Her brown irises finally looked back towards him, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to avoid the topic any more. "Why steal a kiss?" Her voice was soft and timid.

"Because I found it more precious than your pearl," he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. Gently, he ghosted his thumb over her lower lip — and she didn't flinch away from it. "I'll see you again, princess, someday soon," Gaito finally said, and with those parting words, he pulled away from her, vanishing back into the crowd before she could muster up another word of protest.

The pink princess gently touched her lips again, staring at where he had just been standing, and tried to calm her racing heart.  _More precious than my pearl? I truly wonder... what does he want from me? I'll get it out from him next time... and if he wants to kiss me again... I guess it wouldn't hurt._  All of a sudden, butterflies were filling her stomach, and a light pink blush now dusted her cheeks.

* * *

Lucia didn't hear a single notice from her enemy until the next week.

"Oi, Lucia!" Hanon shouted from the front door, where the blue-haired Mermaid Princess was about to sweep the porch. "There's a package for you!"

The dark blonde girl looked up from her homework, not having expected a package in the mail. That was certainly strange — who could have wanted to deliver something to her? She certainly hadn't asked for anything, so it could only be a gift, but from who, that was the question. Realizing she should stop bothering herself with the questions and give her friend an answer before the blue-haired princess got annoyed with her, she shouted down, "I'll pick it up in a minute, Hanon! Hang on to it for a moment!"

Quickly scrambling to her feet, she raced down the flight of stairs that led down to the main room, then towards the front door, a hand clasping her pink shell locket to stop it from flailing so hard as she ran for the door. "I'm here!" she exclaimed, sounding vaguely annoyed as she stopped to regain her breath from the sudden sprint for the door. "What's the package?" she inquired, not seeing a deliveryman around.

Her friend handed her a nondescript box that was somewhat large, but oddly light for something of its weight. There was a note written on a piece of paper that had been stuck to the top of the box, and it was written in her native language, in square, masculine writing,  _Never stop smiling my dear light, for it brightens up every room, and it is worth every gem in existence._

"What does it say?" Hanon inquired, not understanding the oriental script as she was raised on English, and only knew enough Japanese to let her live comfortably in the human world.

Face steadily growing warm and colouring red in embarrassment at the message, Lucia repeated the translation in Japanese to her friend, prompting the aquamarine princess to squeal and gush on about what a gentleman the sender of the gift must be. Lost in her fantasy, the more petite of the two began to daydream of the duo's class teacher, and what he might have written in such a situation, and as to what the gift she would receive from the man would have been, which allowed Lucia just enough time to slip upstairs.

Once alone in her room, Lucia carefully opened the box with a boxcutter, revealing the bouquet of flowers inside. Most were red — a brilliant, natural red that drew attention to the fully-bloomed blossoms. Carnations and hibiscus flowers made up the bulk, camellias dotted the bouquet in slightly pinker shades, while roses were arranged around the outside. White calla lilies were sparsely arranged around the center, and several orchids were placed between each lily, lending several different pops of colour to the red bouquet. A white violet was placed in the very center, and on that flower's stem was a card.

_Red carnations represent admiration; my heart aches for you. The red hibiscus symbolizes love and passion, a representation of a delicate beauty, it read. Pink camellias mean longing, my longing for you. Red roses are for love and for respect. The calla lily is beauty; though it can never match up with yours. Orchids are symbols of love, beauty and refinement._

_The white violet… should you desire to find this one out, meet me by the beach at midnight. I will wait for you until twelve-thirty. Signed, an admirer._

If it was possible, her face was even redder than before. Who could have sent her such a mysterious gift? Well… no, if it was anything, the princess had a good idea of who it was, and her heart was racing at the idea of the possibility being the truth. Love. Most of the flowers carried the meaning of love with them. They were all praises of beauty otherwise. But the white violet? Maybe she could search it up, but she wanted answers, not from a book, but from the giver of the gift himself.

She walked towards her window, looking out at the beach in the daylight, seeing the water of the tides lap gently at the white, sandy beaches. It was early afternoon now, and the sunlight sparkled off the water, bright enough to make her eyes hurt, and she averted her gaze to the size. Her heart raced in anticipation of meeting her mystery 'admirer' later that night, and she knew that no matter what, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep before midnight struck — she would simply be in anticipation of meeting him.

And it was a him, she had a feeling.

Him… yes, someone with pale silver hair and a striking red gaze that sent a shiver down her spine every single time they locked eyes. Someone that had stolen a kiss from her exactly one week ago, and someone who made her blush whenever she thought about it, about him. For some reason, he had lingered in her mind every since that day, and it was hard to forget the way he had spoken to her, the closeness he has shared with her that day…

She was getting lost in her memories again.

Inhaling deeply, the pink mermaid clasped her pink locket tightly in one hand and gripped the card that named the meanings of the bouquet flowers in the other, her brown eyes lingering on the writing on the card.

_"I'll see you again, princess, someday soon."_

Her cheeks coloured. "I'll see you tonight," she whispered.

* * *

Gaito was oddly anxious — nervous, even.

The Panthalassan folded his arms over his chest, leaning on the wall that was located right next to the beach, close to the hotel building that loudly proclaimed its name as 'Pearl Piari'. His mind was racing a little with various possibilities, and he wondered whether the blonde would respond to his request or not, wondered whether she would come alone or if she had informed her friends, wondered if she knew who had sent the gift or not.

In his musings, he failed to notice the soft sounds of the hotel's door opening, much less the nearly soundless footsteps of a slender girl rushing through the door and towards the beach, a flashlight in her delicate hands and turned on to illuminate her way. The princess finally slowed down as she got to the beach, where the calm waves of the night time sea splashed against the sand. "I know it was you, Gaito," she said in a quiet, hushed voice, "where are you?"

He took notice of the white card that she held tight in her other hand, the one where he had written the meaning of the flowers in the bouquet. What did that mean? Did she just want to make a point that she had no interest in him? Or, perhaps the second, more appealing option, that she reciprocated? His eyes were locked onto her as she slowly turned her flashlight around, each and every movement cautious and wary.

"I'm right here, princess," he finally said, voice as calm as the ocean and not quite betraying the slight panic that rose within him. No matter how stoically he attempted to play it, it was true that she did arise some form of anxiety within him. He couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or not — it was certainly a nice change of atmosphere, but the feeling of vulnerability emotionally was entirely too uncomfortable at times. "So, you decided to turn up." That was not a question — anyone could see the obvious.

Her face flushed red with what he presumed was embarrassment, and she hastily took a step back after turning her flashlight near him, fumbling to switch it off. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, then stopped, hesitating. Her honey brown gaze drifted to him, lingering only for a moment before her eyes darted away. Only then did she manage to speak. "Why?" was the first thing she asked.

Gaito couldn't say that he had not anticipated that question in particular. In fact, he would have been surprised if the first thing she had said to him was something else. "Why… what?" he simply chose to reply. He was curious himself — what was she asking about? Why had he sent the gift? Why he had chosen those flowers? Why he had decided to kiss her that day? The list could go on and on for hours on end, and he still could not give her an answer that could possibly be the one she wanted to hear.

"E-everything!" she stammered out, her eyes darting everywhere but him. "Why did you kiss me? Why did you send that? Why flowers? Why those in particular?!" Her blush burned redder, if that was even possible. Then, she lowered her head, and in a much lower voice, she continued, her voice barely a whisper, "Why me?" The last sentence was uncertain, and her grip on the items in her hands loosened a bit.

"Is that it, princess?" he murmured, taking a step closer. He reached out, hand gently grasping her chin and tilting her head up to look her in the eyes. "Princess… Lucia, look at me. I won't hurt you." He leaned closer, adjusting his grip so that his thumb could glide over her cheek. "No," he murmured, "I would never hurt you, princess." He leaned in, but then thought the better of it, and paused, though the distance between them was not changed further. "Beautiful… so beautiful…"

Her beautiful eyes snapped to him, still filled with confusion and uncertainty. "Gaito, please… just, why?"

"I kissed you, because I thought you were lovely," he murmured into her ear, gently twirling a lock of dark blonde hair around a finger. "I sent you a gift because I thought you would like it. I sent the flowers because they were beautiful, just like you. "I sent those flowers, because they conveyed a meaning." Gently, he tucked a strand of hair behind the girl's ear, leaning in and gently kissing her forehead. "I understand, if you don't reciprocate. I understand, if you want me to go. I—"

"Gaito…" Her voice came out in a soft, uncertain whisper, cutting him off mid-statement and prompting him to look down at her. "I... I don't…" Her eyes paused lingering on him for just that moment more and then shifting away, half-lidded. Under the moonlight, tears shimmered in the corner of her eyes. "I don't understand," she said softly. "Why me? I'm mediocre, there's nothing special about me. I don't understand why you call me 'beautiful' — I couldn't be more plain if I tried!"

Plain? How could she ever think she was plain? Wiping his thumb over her tears, he gazed down at her, slowly leaning in and kissing the corner of her lips, feeling her tense up slightly. "You're wrong, princess. You're so wrong. I don't know why you think you're plain — I couldn't imagine anyone more beautiful, more lovely than you… Look at me, princess. Why?"

She didn't look at him, tears streaming down her face, lips quivering. "Then why can't he see that?" she asked quietly. "Why is he so  _dense_?! I've just about told him everything, and if I say a word more, I'll be sea-foam before he even understands anything! Everything… why can't he just—?" The pink mermaid broke down into sobs, the intensity of her emotions building up and letting loose after so long.

Gaito pulled her close, letting her cry into his chest. His eyes slowly closed, kissing the crown of her head as she sobbed hard. "Why can't he just figure it out?" he finished for her, voice gentle as he carefully ran a hand through her dark blonde hair, the locks loose and falling over her shoulders. He held back the harshness he originally would have delivered it with, keeping his tone soft for fear of scaring her off. He placed a feather-light kiss on her head again. "I don't know, princess," it was the truth, after all, "but I'm here. I'll be there for you, even when he isn't." He stared down at her, his gaze soft in sympathy. "I'm here, princess."

She slowly looked up at him as her sobs subsided, and teary brown irises stared up to meet a pair of dark crimson eyes. "You're here?" she echoed faintly. "You'll be here? For me?" Slowly, somewhat hesitantly, she rested her head against him, eyes shifting away and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "Why?" She sounded almost as if she believed him, and yet did not at the same time. A slight tremble ran through her.

"I promise," he murmured, hand threading through her hair. "Do I really need a reason, princess? Everything about you… I find it perfect. Beautiful, inside and out." He leaned in, gently kissing her on the cheek. "The white violet's meaning was simple, really." He smoothed her hair back, and produced the white flower. It hadn't been easy to find one, but he had managed it nonetheless. Tucking it behind her ear, he cupped her chin and moved closer, closing the distance between them. "Let's take a chance at happiness…"

This time, it wasn't him who kissed her. She reached up, hands shaking gently, and pulled him down for the kiss. Her hands tangled in his hair, and her eyes fluttered shut, the mermaid pushing herself up a little by standing on her tiptoes. "Let's take a chance at happiness," she breathed quietly, rubbing at the corners of her eyes and looked up into his eyes as they parted. Her face was red — whether from the crying she had done, or from embarrassment, he knew not. Her hand trembled slightly as she looked up at him, and she inhaled deeply.

"A chance," she whispered quietly. "Let's take this chance, Gaito."

He didn't reply, pulling her in and pressing their lips together, kissing her deeply, passionately.

One chance. That was all he'd get, and he wouldn't screw it up. This was his chance, the chance for their beginning.


	3. E is For Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They always seem to be drawn back to each other's eyes, no matter what.

"Your eyes are beautiful."

"Hmm?" The  _non-sequitur_  caught Lucia off-guard as the blonde princess tilted her head down to stare quizzically at her beloved. "What do you mean?" she asked him, running her slender fingers through his silver hair as the Panthalassan laid his head on her lap. The princess, in her idol form, shifted her position a little to make both of them a little more comfortable.

"Exactly what I said," Gaito confirmed bluntly, looking up at her with a faint smile of contentment. He raised a hand up, gently caressing the side of her face even as she looked down towards him. Red irises gleamed in mild mischief. "Your eyes are so very beautiful," he murmured to her, his voice low.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the simple caress, his touch feather-light and chaste as he slowly slid his thumb across the slope of her cheekbone. Her fingers never stopped their movement through his silver hair. "Is that so?" she murmured, her blue eyes opening partially, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. As she did, she found herself studying his face again, intently observing his features even as he looked up at her with a slightly arched brow.

"Should I be concerned, my dear Lu-ci-a?" Gaito teased her, purposefully pronouncing each different syllable of her name separately in a light, playful manner. His eyes — his crimson red eyes that always shone with that mischievous light whenever he was teasing her — gleamed at her as he smirked in response to her face growing warm. "Blushing still, love? You still have a lot to learn."

Lucia hummed in response to his teasing. "That's easy for you to say, Gaito," she said in response, a soft laugh leaving her. "You're not the one always on the receiving end." Her fingers trailed down from his hair, gently tracing down the side of his face. Her gaze was locked on his gleaming red eyes, raptured by the rich crimson. Normally, she couldn't read him very well, but it was a different case here when she was free to gaze into his eyes all she liked.

His eyes glinted again, and he chuckled, finally pushing himself upright to sit next to her. "Is that so, my dear light? Now... where were we?" Trailing off, he suddenly pulled her into his arms, arranging them so that she was looking up at him.

Their gazes locked instantly, crimson red meeting azure blue in a mutually held gaze.

"Ah, yes, here we were," he whispered in her ear, their gazes never moving from each other even as he pulled her closer to him. "Your eyes, your lovely, lovely blue eyes. As clear as the sky on a summer morning, as bright as a gemstone under the light." His hand rested on the side of her face, his thumb running across her skin just under her wide eyes. "Always so expressive, my dear Lucia. You're an open book."

"Eyes are the window to the soul, right?" the blonde murmured to him, curling up closer against him, still steadfastly holding the gaze, even as a smile played across her lips. "Then I think yours is lovely nonetheless."

There was a pause as he looked back at her with a raised brow, but not a minute after he was chuckling, bringing her closer to him. "Lucia, Lucia, Lucia..." He shook his head with a laugh. "Never change, my love." Cupping her face with his hands, he pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss, which she gladly reciprocated, throwing her arms around his neck.

Blue eyes glimmered in amusement as she pulled back, staring deeply into his red irises. "I never will."

* * *

"Hey, Gaito?"

The Panthalassan looked up from the book he'd been reading to glance over at Lucia, who sat opposite him at the café they were at. It was one of their dates where they simply enjoyed each other's presence while they went about other business. It could be as simple as a walk around town as they talked about their day, or sitting in a cafe while she worked on her homework and he completed whatever mundane activity had caught his fancy — like the book he had been engrossed in not even a minute prior. He slid a bookmark into the book and set it aside, raising his gaze to meet hers. "Yes, Lucia?"

He found himself admiring the light honey brown of her eyes again, seemingly entranced by the way her wide brown eyes shimmered as they caught the light. He preferred the blue eyes of her mermaid form, but nonetheless, her eyes possessed the exact same qualities no matter the colour — expressive, warm and gentle whenever he saw her. It always warmed his heart whenever he saw her eyes light up in joy over one matter or other, no matter how small it was, and if it were up to him, he would make sure that he never had to see her in an expression other than that.

He didn't want to see her eyes dark and listless — it just seemed...  _wrong_  on her, who was always so bright and lively, to have her eyes empty and dull.

So entranced had he been by staring into her warm brown eyes that he seemed to have drowned out what she was saying to him. "Hmm?" he asked, suddenly acutely aware that she had been saying  _something_  over the last minute, which he clearly hadn't caught a word of. "I'm sorry, I seem to have spaced out just now. Can you repeat that for me, Lucia?"

"Jeez, pay attention," she scolded him gently, though in a manner that indicated she wasn't really offended. The glimmer of amusement in those lovely, lovely brown eyes supported that idea. "I could have been saying some really important, you know!"

Gaito chuckled. "Yes, yes, love. I'll pay attention in the future," he assured her, playing along. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Now, you were saying?" He laced his fingers together and patiently rested them on the table's surface, letting himself take in her appearance only momentarily before he directed his attention back to what she was saying. It wouldn't do for him to have her repeat herself a third time, no matter how beautiful he found her eyes to be.

As if just to make sure that he was paying attention to her, Lucia leaned in. "I was asking you if you wanted to go to the beach after this," she said to him. "We haven't gotten the chance to for about a month or so and you mentioned last time that you liked to be on the beach with me at sunset. It's getting a little late too, and even if Nikora-nee-san expects me back by dark, I'd like to watch the sunset with you."

A walk on the beach sounded lovely, even if Gaito was a little hesitant. He knew that Lucia wouldn't go near the hotel while she was with him just in case, but he also knew that there was a potential chance that the other two Princesses would see them, and he would quickly lose count of how many less-than-ideal consequences there would be if that happened.

Still though...

He reached over, taking her hand in his. "You know that I'll do just about anything you ask," he said with a slight grin. To the hell with the consequences, then. He'd spend time with his Lucia even with that risk. She was worth it.

Her brown eyes lit up in delight and she beamed at him, clasping his hand tightly with her own. "Then let's go!" Her honey brown eyes were bright with joy and happiness again, like that simple promise had made her day ten times over. "We should be able to get there in time if we leave around now!"

If braving those risks meant that he'd have the pleasure of seeing her beautiful eyes always so bright, always so happy, he'd take those risks any day. It would be worth it.

* * *

A cooling breeze swept out towards the ocean from where the couple was walking down along the white beaches, hand in hand as they strolled along the mostly empty seaside. Lucia was humming a wistful-sounding melody under her breath as they slowed to a stop in front of a mostly secluded area where few people would be able to find them together.

It provided them with a perfect view of the setting sun nonetheless as it coloured the calm sea with a brilliant array of oranges, yellows and red, the warm colours reflecting the reddened sky streaked with pink and orange clouds. The sun began to sink towards the horizon, a rich orange ball in the sky.

Lucia smiled at the sight, leaning her head on Gaito's shoulder as they watched the sunset. "I've missed spending this much time with you," she said fondly, looking out at the sunset in front of them. The princess snuck a peek at her beloved as they stood there, her eyes settling on his face, which held an expression of contentment.

The light of the dying sun was cast upon them, the light highlighting his sharp features and bringing them into prominence. His crimson eyes shone a brighter, fiery red under the sunlight, burning brightly — he was scheming again, most likely, but for what, she didn't know, and if she had to be honest, she didn't want to think about it in their perfect moment. The smile that he wore only further solidified her decision to leave the matter for another day.

She smiled at him, even if he hadn't noticed, satisfied to see that expression on his face. He truly was handsome when he smiled, she thought to herself, leaning her head against his shoulder once more. Her smile widened a little as he pulled her closer, an arm around her slender form. "I love you, Gaito," she murmured to him, her hands demurely folded in front of her.

Her gaze swept back to look at him, and she saw that he was looking back at her now, his red eyes warm as he gazed down at her. She let him take her hands in his and she gently squeezed his hands in silent assurance — she knew that he was a little on edge because they were close to the hotel, but she also knew that he missed watching the sunset with her as they had done very early on in their relationship. She was glad, at the very least, that they had managed to have this time together for once.

His red eyes glinted warmly under the light of the dying sun as he reached forward, releasing one of her hands to rest his left hand on the side of her face. "I love you too," he murmured back. He pulled her close, tilting her head back and leaned in, capturing her lips in a chaste kiss, pulling back to look into her eyes. "Lucia, my light, my love, I love you."

Loosely resting her hands on his broad shoulders, fingers locked together behind his neck, Lucia stared up into his crimson eyes, admiring the way the light brightened the red of his eyes. She smiled and pulled him down into another kiss, closing her eyes in contentment.  _As long as you're happy, Gaito, I am too._


End file.
